In 1981, Ascension Place, under the guidance of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, opened its doors in the former convent building of Ascension Church to provide transitional housing for women in Minneapolis. The program was incorporated in 1983 as an independent non-profit organization: Ascension Place, Inc. Since then, our programs have expanded to meet the emerging needs of women facing complex barriers such as homelessness, mental illness, chemical dependency, histories of sexual and domestic violence, and incarceration.

In 1990, Ascension Place, Inc. opened St. Anne’s Place emergency shelter in response to the rapid rise in the number of homeless families in Hennepin County. St. Anne’s Place provides housing, food, basic necessities, and extensive case management, programming and resources to women-led families in crisis.

In 2011, Ascension Place, Inc. established a third program – Next Step Housing – to provide permanent supportive housing to women and women-led families. Case managers deliver resources and support to women living independently, but who often still face barriers to permanent stability. Next Step Housing offers supported independent living opportunities in two ways: at our site-based 11-unit apartment building, and for women living in scattered sites throughout Hennepin County.

In 2017, an internal rebranding effort resulted in a new corporate name: Haven Housing. Haven Housing (formerly Ascension Place, Inc.) now operates Ascension Place, St. Anne’s Place and Next Step Housing.